


Friends Will Be Friends

by CPD5021George



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:53:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29552400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CPD5021George/pseuds/CPD5021George
Summary: Jay and Hailey go undercover together, investigating a robbery case that might be linked to former military. But there's an unexpected complication.
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new story. This one happens after 8x3 and 8x4, so Jay and Hailey are a couple from the start. It will probably be only 6 or 7 chapters, and the first two chapters will set the stage. Enjoy

“Who would have guessed we’d move in together so soon,” Jay Halstead said with a lopsided grin. “Although I would have imagined our first place together a bit different.”  
Hailey Upton looked around and laughed. “Nice try, Halstead. You know, you’d sound a lot cooler if this wasn’t a UC apartment.”  
The two of them were standing in the living room of a medium sized apartment, one bedroom, living room with adjacent kitchenette, bathroom with a huge old-fashioned tub. The furniture wasn’t run down but actually quite nice, although not their style, and everything was clean enough. Both had stayed in worse places when working undercover. This place was supposed to be somewhat middle-class, as they wouldn’t pose as drug addicts or criminals but ex-military.  
Playfully Jay took Hailey’s hand, pulled her closer, and all too willingly, Hailey let him pull her into an embrace.  
“Whatever this assignment will bring, I like the ‘living together’ part,” Jay said. “I was surprised though that Voight suggested it.”  
“Yeah, he knows,” Hailey shrugged.  
“You think?” Jay raised his eyebrows, a bit worried. “And still…”  
“Of course he knows,” Hailey confirmed. “And yes, he tolerates it, I guess. So for the moment, let’s take advantage of the place, the job will be tough enough, especially on you.”  
A quick kiss on Jay’s lips, and Hailey breaks their embrace, takes her bag to the bedroom. Work would start in the evening, and by then they should have settled in their new place. It should look like their own to any random visitor. 

A few days earlier

The Intelligence Unit was standing around a computer screen watching a robbery unfold. Four people inside a large entrance hall of a private house, all dressed in black, masked, all with rifles in their hand. All moving with cold determination, not one step too much. This crew knew exactly what they wanted. Like the perfect choreography of a ballet unfolding before the unit's eyes. Only that this ballet ended with a young woman being shot.  
“Military,” was Jay's immediate evaluation. “These guys look like military.”  
“And these two, they look female,” Hailey added.  
“Who is the woman? What did they take?” Kevin Atwater asked.  
Voight turned away from the screen, back to the whiteboard. He pointed at the image of a strongbox with an open door. “The woman is the nanny for the grandchild. She had been there earlier with the boy and from what we were told, returned to pick up something she had forgotten there. What was taken? The strongbox contained unique and expensive jewelry and gold bars. It was supposed to be high quality, nothing you blow up easily. These were experts.”  
“Unique jewelry?” Adam wondered. “Where would they cash that? Melt the gold and sell the materials separately?”  
“No,” Voight disagreed. “The value of this jewelry isn't in the material, but in the design. It's from the 1920.”  
“So, you think this was a theft for a specific order?” Jay asked.  
“That would match with the other three robberies in the Gold Coast area in the last few weeks,” Hailey said. “A precious statuette, a painting, an ancient book. All things you can't just sell on the next street corner. The earlier robberies were non-violent, however, clean. This one left a woman in the ICU.”  
“Right,” Voight grumbled. “Check with your CI's, see if they heard anything about a new robbery crew, check the internet for clues. They must get their orders somewhere. And if it's a black market for collectors, then it's probably set up somewhere in the dark net. Burgess and I will go and talk to the owners to see if they can tell us more.”  
Jay exchanged a quick glance with Hailey, before he grabbed his jacket. “We'll go and check with an ex-military CI of mine,” he explained.  
Silently Hailey followed Jay downstairs, sat down in his truck next to him. She knew Jay hated it when ex-military was involved. Something inside him resented the thought that former soldiers would become criminals. They used to be heroes, who shouldn't end up on the wrong side of the law.  
“I hope I'm wrong,” Jay said when they were driving up North to meet with his CI.  
“I know,” Hailey just answered.  
“I hope it's not ex-Military but something else, I hate these cases,” Jay continued. “It's not how it's supposed to be.”  
“We'll find out the truth, Jay.” Hailey wanted to say so much more, but this was not the time. She wanted to tell him everything would be fine, it wasn't about him – about his military past. It was about criminals, who might or might not share bits of the past with Jay. People who hadn't been nice people back when they were in the military, most probably. Nothing else. They would talk about this later, at home, whenever Jay was ready.

They met with Jay's CI only fifteen minutes later.  
“Hey, what's up, bro?” the lanky, worn-out man greeted Jay. Hailey stayed a few feet away, carefully watching Jay, ready to interfere if necessary.  
“Hey Johnny,” Jay smiled. “You okay?”  
“Sure man, everything good. What can I do for you?” Johnny stared at Jay's hands nervously, and relaxed a bit when a bundle of dollar bills appeared. Johnny was full of restless, nervous energy.  
“I wonder if you heard something,” Jay started cautiously.  
“About what?”  
“About a new crew operating in the Gold Coast area.”  
“Man, that's not exactly my area,” Johnny laughed nervously. “Why do you think I've heard something?”  
“Has anyone tried to hire you or any other vets you know? For jobs that require special skills?”  
“Jobs like what?”  
“High-class robberies.”  
Johnny shook his head vigorously. “No, nobody came to me. But I can ask around, if...” another look at Jay's hands. Jay nodded and handed over a few dollar bills.  
“Yes, do that, please.”  
“You might ask around at the Veterans' center a few blocks up north,” Johnny volunteered, his eyes still glued at the dollar bills that remained in Jay's hands.  
Jay grinned, handed over a few more dollars. “Good idea, I'll try that. Call me when you have something, will you?”  
With a hasty nod, Johnny let the dollar bills vanish in the pockets of his old army jacket, before he turned around and left.  
Jay returned to Hailey, who was leaning against his truck.  
“Not much,” he explained. “But he knows a lot of vets, so chances are he'll pick up bits and pieces.”  
“Shall we have a look at the Vets' center he mentioned?”  
Jay nodded. “Yeah, why not. Let's go.”  
It wasn't all that easy to get information in the Vets' center. Of course they could check with the front desk, but it wasn't exactly like someone put a job offer on the pin board asking for skilled thieves. Nevertheless, the pin board wasn't the worst idea; Hailey checked all the notes, the slips of paper up there. Someone was looking for a job as a janitor, another one was looking for a place to stay. Someone offered jobs in a warehouse. Someone was looking for an old army buddy. But this one piece of paper...  
“Jay,” Hailey waved at her partner, who had just finished talking to a young man leaving the center.  
“What is it?” he quietly asked Hailey, leaning over her shoulder – closer than he would have just a few weeks ago. She quickly turned to look into his face, which was so close to hers, smiled.  
“This could be something,” she said, pointing at a paper in which someone was looking for a skilled locksmith and an IT specialist. No address, no name, just a phone number. “Not much, I know, but perhaps...”  
Jay took out his phone, took a picture. “Definitely something to keep in mind. If you want to break into expensive houses, you might need both.”

They returned to 21st, as right now there was nothing else to do here. They didn't want to ask the people working in the center for information, as theoretically everyone might be involved, or might not give them anything out of loyalty to the actual robbery crew. They needed a plan.  
Or something from Jay's CI. 

“Any leads?” Voight asked, when all were back in the office.  
Jay explained what they had found.  
“It's barely anything, but we could call the number and ask what kind of job it is,” he suggested. “I doubt it will be that easy. They won't tell you that the job is breaking and entering. And the number is linked to a burner phone, the name probably bogus.”  
“Right,” Voight grumbled. “Anything else?”  
“My CI will ask around, but that's all for the moment,” Jay added.  
“Well, I checked the dark net,” Adam took over. “Man, some creepy stuff there. I wish we had someone who knows his way around there better than I do.”  
“Yeah, we don't,” Voight interrupted. “So, what did you find?”  
“There's a market place for collectors' items, jewelry, antiques, a lot of requests. Kev and I are currently narrowing it down.”  
“Well, if this crew works on requests only, then they must know which pieces are kept in private households in Chicago. Did the stolen items show up in any exhibitions before? Did someone wear the jewelry in public? Anything?”  
“We'll cross-check that,” Kevin answered. “Do we have the whole list of what was stolen by this crew?”  
“We have three reports that match their MO,” Voight said. “You've got the data. We can't exclude that there were more cases, but not reported, because the stolen items were obtained illegally in the first place.”  
“But in that case they would not have been presented in any exhibition, it would be part of a black market, or inside information,” Jay said. “That would narrow down the number of suspects.”  
“Okay,” Voight decided. “Adam, you get our tech guys to match the stolen items with any public display and anything on the dark net. Are there listings anywhere of valuable collectors' items in Chicago? Tomorrow you, Kevin and Kim will talk to all victims again, ask them how someone could know about the stolen goods. Jay, you call the number. If necessary, meet with these guys. Probably it's a perfectly harmless job, but perhaps we're lucky.”  
Jay nodded, took an unused UC phone from his desk and dialed the number.  
Everyone was listening in, but Jay didn't say much except a grunted “hm” or “'kay” from time to time.  
When he put the phone down, Hailey looked at him expectantly.  
“They didn't say a lot,” Jay told them. “No names. Random jobs, nothing long-term, want to meet tomorrow. I agreed. If we have a solid lead by then, I can always not go.”

When Jay and Hailey returned home, respectively to Hailey's place, they didn't have a solid lead. The tech guys would work on matching data over night, Jay's CI hadn't called back yet, and Jay would meet with the guy who offered this dubious job the next day.  
“Beer?” Hailey's usual first question, even though she was already standing by the fridge with two cold beers in her hand.  
“Sure,” Jay answered and let himself fall on the couch with his arms outstretched behind him, feet up on the table.  
Hailey sat down next to him, handed him the beer, and leaned against him comfortably.  
“This is just what I need,” Jay grinned.  
Hailey chuckled, took a swig of beer, then kissed him quickly.  
“Thinking about the case?” she asked after a moment of silence.  
“In a way,” Jay admitted. “You know, I hate it when former military is involved.”  
“Yeah,” Hailey knew.  
Jay was thankful she didn't ask any further, that she gave him time and space to gather his thoughts. He leaned his head against hers. “I'll be fine, don't worry. It's just another case.”  
Hailey nodded. “I'm here, Jay. Always.”


	2. Chapter 2

They didn't talk about the case in the evening, everything was still too vague to go into detail. Instead they watched a movie on TV, enjoyed the other's company, their new-found closeness. It was new, good, to actually go home to someone, to feel at home with someone. Both had missed that feeling for a long time. 

In the morning the unit assembled in the office, exchanged the latest information, which wasn't a lot. The woman that had been shot in the latest robbery was still in ICU and could not be interviewed yet.   
Adam was already going through data the IT specialists had provided, Kim was on the phone with Chicago Med, when Jay and Hailey arrived.   
When Kevin arrived a few minutes later, Voight joined the team.  
“What have we got?”  
“Not much from the IT side,” Adam started. “The stolen items are so different, it's not easy to find common factors. The book and the painting were part of exhibitions, but not the same. Different exhibitions, different time, different venues. No connection. The statuette and the jewelry weren't on display anywhere. I asked the guys to check for mentions in the media, anything these items have in common. As for requests – there are so many on the internet, nothing we could find here. We'll try to find if anyone offers their services in this field, but it will take a while.”  
“Hm,” Voight answered. “You'll work with the tech team, Adam. Let me know the minute you find out something. “Kim, Kevin, you pay all the victims another visit. Ask specifically if anyone could know about the stolen items. Jay, when are you meeting with this guy about the job?”  
“Two hours, Sarge.”  
“Then you and Hailey have a look at the surveillance cameras once again. Perhaps we've missed something yesterday. And perhaps you can see anything that links them to the person offering you a job.”  
Even though both Jay and Voight had their doubts that the job offer could be so easily linked to the robberies, Jay nodded. He rolled his chair around the desks so that he sat next to Hailey, and together they reviewed the footage again.  
They didn't have camera footage from inside all four houses, only from two, a surveillance camera image from outside the third house, nothing from the fourth. They couldn't identify a car, only a group of five people entering the houses, knowing exactly where they wanted to go, and leaving quickly – in three out of four cases without being disturbed. Even the cameras outside didn't pick up a lot, the robbers vanished into thin air without a trace.   
In the end they were pretty sure that it was the same crew in all four robberies. The MO was the same, they looked alike – each time dressed all in black, masked, they even moved similarly. Jay was convinced they were the same people.  
“Look,” he pointed at the screen, as he talked to Hailey. “This one here, that's the person in that robbery.” He switched to another camera from another robbery. “And this person is here as well.”  
“And this one is most definitely a woman,” Hailey added. “Perhaps this one too – they are smaller, leaner than the other three, they move differently. They could be in the other video as well.”  
Their heads were close together and both noticed it, but stayed professional without even needing to remind themselves. Now that they had established that they were in fact a couple, it was easier than it had been before. Before... before Hailey had the job offer from the Feds, before the evening in the bar and their first kiss... before that, there had always been this lingering tension, insecurity. Now – after their first kiss, amazing first kiss, first night together – now it was easier to stay focused. They knew they would return home together, cuddle, kiss, touch, talk. So they could stay focused at work, and it felt good, comfortable and right.   
“Anything?” Voight suddenly asked, pulling Hailey out of her thoughts. She flinched involuntarily, but managed to ignore Voight's knowing look.  
“Maybe,” she answered. “We're pretty sure that it's always the same crew. Not easy to say when everyone's dressed in black, with hoodies and masks, but still.”  
“I'm trying to focus on specific movements, anything that might help me recognize someone when I see them,” Jay explained. “But they are definitely pros, they move very economical, no unnecessary step, very mechanical, nothing unique. I'm even more convinced now that they are military.”

When it was time to leave for Jay's meeting, he changed into more scruffy clothes, while Hailey organized a pool car, which would not be traceable back to the police. Hailey parked the car, closely watching Jay, as he was crossing the street to the entrance of the small park, where he was supposed to meet with his contact. She could see how focused Jay was, he was automatically scanning the surroundings, watching out for any suspicious figures that might be watching, looking for possible escape routes, anything that might be helpful. Hailey tried to look inconspicuous, pretended to be reading something on her phone, but her eyes never left Jay.   
As soon as Jay had approached the gate, someone appeared on the other side.  
“Ryan?” the tall, broad-shouldered man asked.  
“Who's asking?” Jay replied, seemingly casual.   
“We talked on the phone.”  
“Oh, about the job,” Jay pretended to be relieved, nodded slightly. “Yes, I'm Ryan. Anderson. Care to tell me more? I could really use a job.”  
“What happened?”  
“Returned from overseas a few months ago, can't seem to find anything.” Jay's demeanor made it clear he didn't want to elaborate.  
“Yeah, we've all been there. Who's your friend?”  
Jay raised his eyebrows.  
“The one in the car watching us.”  
“Oh, that's my wife, Kelly.” How easy that came off his lips. Jay didn't even have to think about an answer.   
“She military too?”  
“No,” Jay replied. “Worked on base, though, so she knows the drill.”  
“I see. Well, you said you've got experience as a locksmith, and we need one.”  
“Who's we?” Jay asked. “You run a company?”  
“Something like that.” He nodded to his right, where another man and a woman appeared. “Jack, Marcie, two of my associates.”  
“Okay, so what's the job, when can I start? I really need the money.”  
He raised his hands. “We need to see if you're the right one for the job. What about a test run? Let's say tomorrow afternoon. Come to this address. Ask for Mike, that's me.” He gave Jay a piece of paper with an address in Humboldt Park. “And only bring your wife if she's willing to work with us too. We can't use distraction.”  
“Right,” Jay murmured and headed back to the car. 

“So?” Hailey looked at him expectantly.   
“They definitely are ex-military or something similar,” Jay answered. “If or if not they are involved? I have no idea. This could be the biggest red herring ever, they could be perfectly legit. Even though they are very secretive about the job.”  
“They made me?”  
“Yeah, they are good.”  
“We are too, don't worry,” Hailey grinned. “What did you tell them?”  
“I told them you're...” Jay stopped, realizing. “Ahem... I told them you're my wife.”  
Hailey gulped, then burst out laughing. “You wish, Halstead.”  
Jay grinned back at Hailey, then shrugged. “It seems they believed me. Which is good enough for now.”  
“Let's go talk to Voight.”  
Before they could, however, Jay's phone rang. His CI. After a brief conversation, they were on their way to meet with Johnny.

“You got something?” Jay greeted him, burying his hand in his pocket, ready to take out some money. But first he needed to know what Johnny had.  
“I heard something. There's word out a group of former Army guys are looking for assistance. A friend of mine was approached, but doesn't have the skills.”  
“What skills?”   
“Computers, security systems, locks, alarm systems.”  
Jay was immediately more interested. “Any names?”  
“The guy called himself Mike.”  
Could it be that they were lucky? That this was the same guy Jay had just talked to? That would be quite the coincidence. Still, it could be this Mike was perfectly legit, just relied more on personal connections when hiring people than on official ways.   
“You got more?”  
“A phone number.”  
Now Jay took a few dollar bills from his pocket, handed them to Johnny. “That helps a lot. Here's your advance. If this helps to get the crew, there will be more.”  
With a hasty nod, Johnny left.

“We might be on to something,” Jay was standing at the whiteboard in the office. “I met with this guy 'Mike', who wants to get a sample of my skills, but didn't say much about the actual job. And my CI also gave me the name Mike and the same phone number I called. It may be completely innocent, but it's a lead. I'll get together with a sketch artist right now for a drawing. We can run that through facial rec, perhaps that gives us more.”  
“Good, do that,” Voight agreed.  
“Sarge, if he hires me, I can go undercover. If it's nothing, we'll stop it, no harm done.”  
“We don't have much else,” Voight said. “The other victims didn't give us new information, so it's our only lead. So yeah, set up a UC apartment.”  
“Sarge,” Hailey interrupted. “I'll go with Jay.”  
“What?” Jay stared at her.  
“Well, you told them I'm your wife, so it would be a bit suspicious if I'm nowhere near.” Hailey shrugged and grinned.  
Jay's first impulse was to reject Hailey's suggestion, his well-known impulse to do things on his own, shut himself off, suspecting she'd think he needed supervision. But then again – he kind of liked the idea to have her in on this assignment. It was reassuring to have her close, someone who'd always have his back. Things had changed after all. She was his partner – and his girlfriend. The one person he trusted completely. With a nod he left the office to meet with the sketch artists.   
“Upton?” Voight looked at Hailey, pointing towards his office.  
Hailey followed him inside, shut the door.  
“Why do you want to go under with him?” Voight asked. “Don't you trust him?”  
“Sarge, I trust Jay more than anything.”  
“You think because it's military, it might be too close for Jay? You don't want him to go under?”  
Hailey shook her head. She was aware that she shouldn't be the concerned girlfriend here, Voight wouldn't appreciate that. Not the slightest bit.  
“No, that's not it. I trust Jay, and I'm not worried – well, not more than I would with any other UC mission – I just think I can help. This guy saw me, he knows I'm with Jay, so perhaps I can help. Four eyes. And there's women in this crew, this might give me a special angle.”  
“Hm,” Voight grumbled. “Okay then. You two go under. But remember you've got a job to do, it's not a...”  
“Sarge,” Hailey interrupted him with raised eyebrows, only barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes at her boss.


	3. Chapter 3

And that was how Jay and Hailey ended up in the undercover apartment in the Northern part of Humboldt Park. Fortunately the Chicago PD always had a few UC places in store, therefore they could move in that same evening. Both had quickly packed a few clothes; if necessary someone could always bring more, they had the same Police pool car from before, and they even had fake ID's and papers, credit cards. Nowadays this was all ready for use on the shelf, and available almost immediately, including a fake history to satisfy a first background check.

After checking out the whole apartment and putting away their clothes, they returned to the living room. Again, Jay pulled Hailey into an embrace.  
“And what do we do now, Ms Anderson?”  
Hailey laughed out loud. “Hmm, I've got a lot of ideas. But how about we go through our backstory again before we move on to something more private?”  
Jay smiled back at her. “We could do that over dinner,” he suggested. “I saw a cute restaurant two blocks away. What do you think?”  
Hailey nodded. “Let's do that, before we get too comfy here and don't want to leave at all.” She ran her fingers through his hair, kissed him. “And that could happen all too quickly.”  
“Hmmmm,” Jay just mumbled, smiling into their kiss. “What is it we wanted to do? Go outside?” She was right, he was already more inclined to stay inside than to ever leave.  
“Come on, Halstead, let's go.”

They walked to the restaurant. The evening air already carried the first promises of spring, it wasn't as cold anymore, the breeze was soft, even some birds were singing. Hailey took Jay's hand in hers on the way, leaned against him. They had moved from just partners to lovers easily, naturally. If anything, it was easier , now that they had finally admitted what they felt for each other. No tip-toeing around each other, no more badly hidden longing looks mixed with fear to be rejected.  
This trip to the restaurant, even though it was part of their new undercover mission, was a nice mix of an actual date with work. While enjoying the amazing food, each other's company, they went through their back story, how they supposedly met on a military base overseas, how Jay / Ryan had served in Afghanistan and they had married when he returned from his first trip, right before his second. They needed to make sure that the story didn't have too many details the crew could try to verify, as Jay had been home from Afghanistan for much longer than his alter ego Ryan. The easiest solution to this was that Jay would pretend to be too traumatized to talk about this a lot, which would also explain why he hadn't been able to find a job. And Hailey / Kelly's problems with a traumatized husband might be an angle to gain trust with them, and explain why she might want to join Jay when he met with Mike and his friends. It all depended on how long the UC assignment would last, how deep they had to go under. It might be over the next day, or last for weeks, if they were in fact working the actual robbery crew and their next robbery would only take place in a few weeks from now.

“Thank you,” Jay suddenly said when they were back in the apartment.  
“What for?”  
“For joining me in this UC job.”  
Hailey smiled at him warmly. “I was afraid you didn't want it, thought I might want to control you.”  
Jay shook his head slowly. “Well, that briefly crossed my mind, but … I don't. I don't think you want to control me. It's good to know you're here with me.”  
“You've got to thank Voight for agreeing to it.”  
“Did he say anything?”  
“Well,” Hailey sat down on the couch, pulled Jay down next to her. “He clearly knows, but didn't comment on it. I think he still isn't sure if he likes it or not. His first question was if I don't trust you.” The moment Hailey said that, she realized that this was exactly Jay's worry.  
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.  
“I told him what I told you, Jay,” Hailey said. “I do trust you. But if this Mike is running the crew, and if they are all military, it won't be easy for you. Jay, we are better together, as partners. And,” she laughed nervously, “and I have to admit, I think it's kind of nice we can do this together. I want to be in this with you.”  
Jay laughed, relieved. “Definitely, so much more fun together. Still, thanks for being here.”  
“Always, Jay.”  
As a confirmation, she caressed his cheek, kissed him softly. Jay sighed softly, pulled her into an embrace, and soon they forgot about the case for the night. 

In the morning, Jay and Hailey headed back to the office, to check in with the team before they would only be available via phone or random meetings with one of them.  
When they arrived, the others were already busy, Voight was standing in front of the whiteboard. There were new photos up there, and Jay immediately recognized two people: Mike and Marcie. In the photos they wore uniforms, so his assumption was correct. Military.  
“Jay, Hailey, good you're here,” Voight greeted them. “The pictures the sketch artists made from your description gave us two results.”  
Jay nodded, leaned against his desk, while Hailey sat down on the desk right next to him and pulled up her legs comfortably.  
Adam stepped up to the whiteboard, pointed at Mike's picture. “That's Michael Ford, the guy you talked to. He was with the Marines, left two years ago, no priors, nothing out of the ordinary. According to his file, he was a good soldier, but not outstanding. Nothing specific in there, no complaints, but no high praise either. A regular guy. After he left the Marines, he had a few jobs, but nothing steady. And that one,” He pointed to Marcie's photo. “That's Marcie Giersen. Army, two tours to Afghanistan, left the army a year ago. It's unclear if she and Ford met overseas or here, there's nothing in the files. Again, an unremarkable, ordinary person. There's no record of family here in Chicago. Neither of them has any priors, not even a parking ticket.”  
“And we assume these two run a highly specialized robbery crew?” Kevin asked. “What a career change.”  
“Perhaps it's not them after all,” Hailey said before Jay could comment. “Perhaps they are good people trying to make a living, to build a business.”  
Jay glanced at her thankfully, and slowly shook his head. “I don't think so. As much as I would want to. Something about Mike, about all three of them, wasn't right. There was something darker.” Jay stopped, looked around. “Don't look at me like that, guys. Just a gut feeling.”  
“Jay, your gut feeling is usually very accurate,” Voight said. “See what happens this afternoon, and we'll take it from there.”  
“So how will you be playing this?” Kim wanted to know. “You work for them, and Hailey is your stay-at-home wife?”  
“Yeah, and why do you think you are you a sufficiently good locksmith, that you can be valuable to them?” Adam asked.  
Jay shrugged. “Lock picking? I've got a guy... a former CI actually, who showed me quite a bit. Back then I figured it can't hurt to know, so here we go. As for Hailey...”  
“We'll play it by ear,” Hailey added. “I'll keep in the background, might join in, but carefully. Otherwise I'll watch and have Jay's back.”  
They quickly exchanged a glance and a smile.  
“That's how we work best,” Jay simply said.  
“Hailey, you're responsible to keep us updated,” Voight decided. “As long as nobody suspects anything, you watch and contact me regularly. They will watch Jay more closely, so we'll meet only in an emergency, but I want an update at least once a day, better twice. If necessary you'll meet with Adam or me.”  
“Copy that,” Jay and Hailey said simultaneously, then grinned weakly. 

When it was time to drive up north for their meeting with Mike, Hailey looked at Jay inquiringly. “So, you want me to come? Or should I stay behind?”  
“Come with me,” Jay suggested. “Mike said he wouldn't mind, as long as you play along.”  
So they approached the door of the old garage in Humboldt Park together. The area wasn't too bad, the garage itself looked like a legitimate business. In the moment that Jay reached for the door, it was opened from the inside. An unknown woman stood in front of him.  
“You Ryan?” she asked, then looked at Hailey.  
“Ryan Anderson,” Jay answered shortly. “Kelly, my wife. Mike's expecting us.”  
“Come in,” the woman stepped aside.  
Jay walked inside, with Hailey following closely.  
They entered a large hall, in which they could see lots of mechanical equipment, a large work bench, a lifting ramp, a car somebody seemed to be working on. One door leading to an office with a large window covered by blinds, and two more doors. Two people were standing in a corner, talking. One of them was Jack, who had accompanied Mike the day before, the other they didn't recognize. Judging by their height and build, they might be part of the robbery crew, but a thousand other guys might be too.  
Both looked at the new arrivals.  
Jay nodded at them.  
“That's Ryan and Kelly, Mike's waiting,” the woman explained.  
She headed for the office, knocked on the door. “Mike, he's here.”  
Jay could hear someone moving inside, then Mike came out of the office.  
He only opened the door wide enough to come outside, closed the door behind himself and locked it.  
“So you brought your wife,” he noticed.  
“Figured perhaps you've got work for me too,” Hailey said casually. “If not, I'll be gone, no problem.”  
Mike didn't take notice of her anymore, approached the other two guys.  
“Jack, Roy,” he said. “That's Ryan. He wants to work with us.”  
“And we trust him why?” Jack said.  
“We'll see about that,” Mike answered. “Ryan, you need a job?”  
“That's why I'm here.”  
“Okay. Listen, when I bought this garage a few days ago, there was this old safe in the office. You think you can open it? I'd like to know what's inside.”  
“That's all?” Jay looked at Mike, a slightly amused look on his face. “That's the job?”  
“That's a start.”  
Mike walked across the room, to a large safe that was hidden in a corner. It didn't look all that old, like something Jay could handle. He almost out a relieved sigh.  
“What tools do we have?” he asked, and Roy showed him the toolbox.  
Jay started working on the safe, and it didn't take long before a snapping sound could be heard.  
Jay looked at Mike. “Have a look inside.”  
Mike grinned satisfied, opened the door, revealed several guns and ammunition. “Look at that,” he smirked. “How useful.”  
“That what you've expected?” Jay asked, wondering if this was placed in there for his sake, for show, or if they hadn't been able to open the safe for real.  
“No, but we can use it.” Mike handed a gun to each of the guys. Jay inspected it thoroughly. The identification was removed from the semi automatic gun, definitely nothing obtained legally. “Nice.”  
Mike clearly had noticed that Jay recognized the gun for what it was – an illegal gun that could do a lot of damage. He seemed content with Jay's reaction.  
“Fine, that was a good start. I might need you tomorrow night. Back here.”  
“Okay.” Jay didn't hesitate.  
“Mike,” the woman called from the other side of the room. “Greg's here.”  
“Coming, Jeanie,” Mike answered with a side look in Jay's direction.  
Jay's eyes followed Mike's, as the door was opened.  
And he froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you know I love cliffhangers, don't you? But don't worry, it won't be long before chapter 4 will be uploaded
> 
> Thank you for all your positive feedback and your support.


	4. Chapter 4

A few minutes later Jay and Hailey were back in the street.   
“What is it, Jay?” Hailey asked, worried. The moment the door opened and this other guy had entered, Jay had tensed up. He tried to hide it, and from what she could see, the others hadn't noticed, but to her it was more than obvious. The way he clenched his teeth and his jaw muscles became prominent, though hardly visible, were a clear sign to anyone who knew Jay well. Something was terribly wrong.   
“You know that guy?”  
Jay breathed heavily, as they were walking back to the car. “Let's go.”

When the door was opened, Jay immediately recognized the man standing on the other side of the room, but he forced himself to stay calm and pretend not to care at all. He casually examined the guy, nodded briefly, then took Hailey's hand. “See you tomorrow then, text me with the details. Thanks for the opportunity.”

“Jay,” Hailey repeated as they were back in the car. “You know this guy?”  
Jay didn't reply, but quickly drove back to the apartment, silently parked the car and hurried inside.   
Hailey closed the door behind her. “Jay, talk to me!”  
Jay leaned against the kitchen counter. “It's Mouse,” he uttered.  
“Mouse, like your army buddy Mouse?” Hailey asked. She stepped closer, put a hand on his arm. “Your friend?”  
Jay nodded.   
“Oh crap.” Hailey stared at him, trying to read his thoughts. “Will he talk?”  
“No!” Jay almost yelled. “Mouse won't give me away.”  
“Okay,” Hailey said. “Want to back off?” she asked softly.   
“No, I can't,” Jay shook his head. He looked down. “Not now.”  
“You think he's involved? Are you sure you can go through with it, if he is?” Hailey spoke quietly and slowly.   
Jay didn't answer for a while, instead walked to the couch and sat down. Hailey grabbed two bottles of coke from the fridge and followed. Automatically Jay took one bottle, drank. Hailey waited, rubbed his leg softly.   
Finally Jay leaned back, ran his hand through his hair.  
“I wish I knew, Hailey. I wish I knew.”  
Hailey saw a shimmer in his eyes, Jay was holding back tears of frustration and fear.   
“Perhaps he stumbled into it just like you did – supposedly,” she offered.  
Jay nodded. “That must be it. Mouse... he wouldn't...”  
“Want me to call Voight?” Hailey volunteered. “He needs to know.”  
“I know. Yeah, I guess you should. Thanks.”  
“Okay.” Quietly Hailey took her phone and went into the bedroom, giving Jay some space. It was important that Jay knew she was on his side and wouldn't put pressure on him. He shouldn't feel the need to shut her out.   
She left the door open, so that he could hear what she said, when she talked to Voight.  
“Upton?” she heard her sergeant's familiar rough voice. “What's it?”  
“Sarge, we might have a problem here,” Hailey said. Voight didn't interrupt.  
“We met with the crew again, and it seems Jay has the job. They want him tomorrow night. But... when we were about to leave, another guy showed up. Jay's friend Mouse.”  
“I see,” Voight slowly answered.  
“Sarge, Jay's sure that Mouse isn't involved. Perhaps he answered to their job offer just like Jay did, doesn't know what this is about. But...”  
“Jay's irritated.”  
“To say the least.”  
“Are you worried about him?”  
“I don't know, Sarge,” Hailey admitted. “I know I can trust Jay, but I don't know Mouse. It's risky.”  
“Does Jay know you called me?”  
“Yes, he does. What do you think, Sarge?”  
“I think you should let Jay decide. He and Mouse have a lot of history, and if he's willing to take the risk, I'm fine with it.”  
“Okay. Perhaps the team could try to find an LKA? Perhaps we can try to contact him, and Jay and he can talk.”  
“I'll see what we can do. Until then, your assignment is still on. Keep in close contact.”

A bit relieved, Hailey returned to the living room, where Jay was still sitting on the couch, not moving, his head leaned back, eyes closed.   
“Hey,” she whispered, as she sat down next to him.   
“Hey,” Jay opened his eyes, weakly smiled at her.   
Hailey leaned against his shoulder, and Jay put his arm around her, pulled her close.   
That was good, he didn't shut her out, wanted her close. He would talk eventually, in his own time. For the moment it was good enough for her that he wanted her here by his side. She closed her eyes, pulled her feet up and waited for him. He was still tense, but bit by bit he was getting better, as he absentmindedly caressed Hailey's arm, held her tight.

“I want to check something,” Jay said after a while. “Want a coffee?”  
“Yeah, good idea. What is it?”  
“I wonder if Mouse's old phone number still works.”  
Hailey looked at him, waiting.  
“From back when he worked with Intelligence,” Jay explained. “Before he went back to Afghanistan.”  
“You trust him enough?”  
“With my life, Hailey,” Jay simply said. “If he wanted to give me up, he would have done so already. But he wouldn't do that.”  
“Good enough for me,” Hailey decided. “Perhaps you should wait a bit longer before you call. If he's still with Mike and the guys, it might be difficult.”  
“You're right,” Jay agreed. He stood up, switched on the coffee maker.   
A few minutes later they were sitting at the kitchen table, both having a mug of coffee in their hands. Hailey watched Jay, who was staring into his coffee, thinking about Mouse.  
“You know, I owe him my life,” Jay said. “Actually, we saved each other's lives so often. That's why I trust him. It would have been so easy for him, several times, to run away and save his own life, leave me behind. But he always had my back. Like no-one had before. I loved it when he worked with Intelligence. And it was terrible when he decided to go back to war. You know, with him leaving, and... and... it felt like everyone I cared for was gone.”  
Hailey had suspected that Jay had felt like this, but this was the first time he admitted it. She made a promise to herself to not be the next to leave him, to always be by his side. Jay deserved it, more than anyone.   
“Mouse and I, we had a great time in Afghanistan,” Jay continued. “Despite the war, despite all the horrible things happening around us, despite the danger and the killing, it was a good time. As wrong and crazy as it sounds. It was good to be in this together. He's the best guy you can imagine, clever, witty, funny, crazy, and totally trustworthy. I can't believe he knows what he's getting himself into with Mike. The more I think about it, the more I am sure he stumbled into it. He knows everything there is to know about IT systems, he must have seen the same paper we saw in the Vets' center.”  
Hailey hoped and prayed that Jay was right, that Mouse was in fact innocent. It would break Jay's heart if his friend was deliberately involved with this crew. Not to mention that it would be dangerous if Jay's trust was misguided. 

When he had finished his coffee, Jay took his personal phone from its hiding place to look for Mouse's number; afterwards he logged on to police databases. Perhaps he could find something about Mouse.   
Nothing. No LKA, no information after he had left for Afghanistan a few years ago.   
Jay put his phone down, stared at it.  
“Anything?” Hailey asked, caressing the back of his hand with her fingers.   
“No, I don't even know when he came back from overseas.”  
“But you have his number?”  
“If it's still in service.”  
Hailey didn't reply.  
“Don't look at me like that,” he chuckled. “There's only one way to find out, I know that.”   
Jay picked up his phone again, his finger hovering over Mouse's number, and Hailey was about to stand up, leave Jay alone for his phone call. He took her hand and held Hailey back.   
“Stay?”  
“Sure, babe.” She sat down again. If he wanted her to listen, to be there, she would do just that.  
Jay put the the phone on speaker, waited, and was about to hang up again, when someone picked up.  
“Yeah?” Hailey could hear a faint voice.  
“Mouse?” Jay asked tentatively.  
“Jay, is that you?”  
“Yes, it's me.” Hailey could hear relief in Jay's voice, smiled. “Can you talk?”  
“I'm alone, yes. Listen Jay, you almost gave me a heart attack,” Mouse said hastily. “What were you doing there?”  
“I could ask you the same thing, buddy,” Jay answered with a smile. “Listen, you're on speaker, Hailey's listening. Just so you know.”  
“Hailey? She was with you earlier? Jay, are you working for Mike? Or are you...”  
“We're undercover,” Jay said. “What did you do there? How long...?”  
“I met Roy in Afghanistan,” Mouse explained. “Two days ago he asked if I could help with a job, that's why I was there.”  
“So you haven't done any job for them yet?”  
“No, I didn't. And I don't know the others. What are they up to, Jay?”  
“Not sure yet,” Jay evaded the question. “Did you tell them anything about me?”  
“They noticed that I recognized you,” Mouse said sheepishly. “I'm not that good working undercover, I guess.”  
“What did you say?”  
“I said that I remembered your face from overseas, nothing else. I didn't give you up, Jay. I would never...”  
Jay exhaled audibly, briefly looked at Hailey, who smiled encouragingly. “I've never doubted you, buddy. Did they also ask you to wait for info about a job tomorrow night?”  
“Yes, Roy said they'd call.”  
“Good,” Jay concluded. “Can we meet?”  
“Tonight?” Mouse sounded enthusiastic. “Will you bring this beautiful woman, too? I assume she's undercover with you?”  
“Sure,” Jay laughed, relieved. “And if they are watching we can always explain. I will tell them I still had your number because we served in the same unit for a brief time. We just need to keep our stories straight.”  
Jay sighed heavily when he put down the phone, looked at Hailey with relief.  
“You believe him?” she asked cautiously and raised her hands defensively – just in case. “Jay, I'm just asking.”  
Jay nodded. “Yeah, I know. And yes, I believe him. For now. But I know it's risky, there's always that slight chance that he's lying and is one of them.” He paused.   
“But your gut feeling tells you otherwise,” Hailey softly smiled.   
“Yes, it does.”  
“That's good enough for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you got it right, it was Mouse - I just like him and wanted to bring him back. I think Mouse should come back to Chicago, into Jay's life, and meet Hailey. They would like each other. 
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your great reviews and your support.


	5. Chapter 5

They agreed to meet in a pizza place several blocks from Jay and Hailey's UC apartment, and when Jay and Hailey arrived, Mouse was already waiting for them outside the restaurant, pacing up and down nervously.   
He looked different from a few years ago, even skinnier, more prominent worry lines on his forehead, laugh lines around his eyes, even his hair showed a few strands of grey. But as soon as he saw Jay, his face lightened up significantly, he stopped right where he stood, smiled at Jay and Hailey.

Jay had relaxed significantly, Hailey noticed, after the conversation with his friend, and she was happy for him. Of course, she didn't know Mouse, but she trusted Jay' judgment. What they had lived through together, would help them form a special bond, and she was looking forward to getting to know Mouse herself. Another piece in the puzzle which was Jay Halstead.  
They walked up to Mouse, holding hands.   
Mouse smiled at them, his widest smile, as his gaze shifted from Jay to Hailey and back. “Hey, buddy. So you're...”  
“Yeah,” Jay smiled back at his friend, then looked at Hailey. “We're not only undercover together, we're dating.”  
Hailey extended her hand, “Hailey Upton, although right now you should probably remember me as Kelly Anderson, Ryan's wife.”  
“Kelly and Ryan, nice to meet you,” Mouse grinned. “Greg Gerwitz, but please call me Mouse.”

They entered the restaurant and chose a corner table, as far away from the other patrons as possible.   
“When did you come back?” Jay wanted to know. “And why?”  
Mouse shrugged. “My assignment was over, the unit split up, and there was nothing else for me to do. Been back for almost six months now.”  
“An why didn't you call?” Jay asked with raised eyebrows and a warm smile. “Man, you know how much I missed you.”  
“Tried to get my feet back on the ground first,” Mouse answered, uncomfortable. “I didn't want to sound as if I was begging for a job. And... and I felt bad for leaving.”  
Jay shook his head. “Why? Because you did what you had to do? Don't, please!”  
“But you were so disappointed, even though you still backed me.” Mouse stared into Jay's face.   
Jay sighed, his thumb brushed over the back of Hailey's hand absentmindedly.   
“I was sad to see you leave,” he answered after a while. “But it was your decision, and it was what you wanted to do. We're good, Mouse. Now tell me, what happened?”  
Mouse smiled a melancholic smile. “As I said, my assignment was over, can't say much about it, classified, you know? I returned to Chicago, tried to find my place – again.”  
“You should have called.”   
Mouse shrugged again. “Maybe. Anyway, I met Roy somewhere along the way, we came back here together, and he called a few days ago. Told me he might have a job for an IT specialist. Today was supposed to be my first job interview.”  
“And?”  
“And what? I talked to Roy, and this Mike guy, showed them a bit of my magic,” a brief nervous laugh escaped his lips. “And they told me to wait for a call. Should I take the job, Jay? Or should I stop answering my phone?”  
“I wish I knew,” Jay admitted.   
“What's this job about anyway?”  
“We're still not quite sure if we're following the right lead,” Hailey said, looking around if anyone was listening or watching too intently. When she was sure that nobody was paying any attention to them, she continued. “We suspect Mike and his crew are behind a few robberies. Specialized stuff, looks like they break into houses to steal specific items, perhaps steal per order. Not money in the first place, but artwork etc.”  
“And they need an IT wiz to open all the high security doors,” Mouse concluded.   
“That's what we assumed,” Jay confirmed. “We only got involved after the last robbery. A well known local politician. One victim still in a coma.”  
“So you need my help to nail them?” Mouse grinned.  
Jay grinned back. “It would be great, but it is dangerous. It's your decision.”  
“You don't think I'll blow it?”  
Jay and Hailey exchanged a glance.   
“Not my call,” Hailey said. “But I won't stand in your way, if you want to be in.”  
“I'd love to have you in,” Jay agreed. “But Voight needs to know.”  
“So he's still your sergeant? I assumed he'd be retired by now, and Antonio'd be your boss.”  
“Antonio's in Puerto Rico,” Jay said quietly. “Al was killed, Erin's gone. But Voight is still there. So are Ruz, Burgess and Atwater. Hailey joined a few years ago, shortly after you left. Best addition to the unit since you came.”   
He smiled. “Now you know all there is to know.”  
“Okay,” Mouse looked from Jay to Hailey and back. “That means I'll help. At least I won't end up in jail with this job. I admit, I had a bad feeling when Roy called. I need money, so I decided to see what it was about. But enough of that. Tell me about you two. I have to admit you look happier than I have ever seen you, buddy.”  
Jay smiled even wider, as if to confirm what Mouse had just said. “I am, for the first time in ages. It took us long enough.” He looked at Hailey, squeezed her hand. 

It was already late when Jay and Hailey returned to their apartment, they had enjoyed the time with Mouse tremendously. After clearing the air and sharing information about the case, they simply had a fun evening. Hailey discovered a new facet of Jay; Mouse was the first old friend of Jay's she got to know, and she learned a bit about his time in Afghanistan, something Jay didn't talk about very often. She liked Mouse, she truly did. He was so different from Jay, had all this nervous energy about him, but it was obvious that the two men were close.

Even though it was close to midnight, Jay texted Voight when they came home. Now that he had talked to Mouse directly, Jay felt ready to face his sergeant and asked for a meeting the next morning. He needed to keep the unit informed about Mouse, they had to make sure that Mouse would be on the record and not be considered part of the burglary crew. They needed to talk to about this in person, not on the phone, and not in the middle of the night. Voight texted back right away, told them to come to the Silos the next morning.

Jay followed Hailey into the bedroom, lay down next to her on his side, facing her.   
Hailey put her hand on his cheek, running her thumb over his skin.   
“I like Mouse,” she said.   
“He's a good guy. I missed him.”  
“I know, Jay. I hope he stays in your life from now on.”  
“Hmm, me too.”   
Slowly Hailey ran her hand through his hair. “It will be fine, Jay.”  
Jay nodded, moved closer and softly kissed her. He pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around her. Hailey sensed that he was calmer now and less tense. Her head rested comfortably on his chest, when both fell asleep. Jay was grateful that Hailey was simply there for him, gave him reassurance, didn't expect him to share all his thought but was listening whenever he was ready to open up. It helped a lot that she trusted him about Mouse, and at the same time he knew she was closely watching his friend, watching out for Mouse and for him, always having Jay's back. 

In the morning they got up early, to meet with Voight. The air was crisp and cold, when they drove to the Silos. They took extra precaution, made sure nobody was following them. If Mike and his crew were as dangerous as Jay suspected, they needed to be extremely careful. It wouldn't be a surprise if Mike was watching what his future crew members were up to.   
So they checked their car for GPS trackers before they left, changed streets more often than usually, drove through deserted areas, until they could be relatively sure they weren't being followed, and finally they arrived at the Silos.

It had been a long time since they had been there; Voight's former favorite spot for off-the-book interrogations and meetings had somehow fallen off the radar for quite a while.  
They parked their car next to Voight's, walked up to their sergeant.  
“So, what about Mouse?” he asked, as always without wasting time on greetings. “Did you talk to him?”  
“Yes, I did,” Jay answered. “I called him yesterday, and we met later.”  
“And what do you think? Is he part of the crew?”  
“Definitely not, Sarge,” Jay answered. “He's no more part of the crew than I am.”   
He paused, breathed heavily and tried to stay calm. No need to feel attacked or cornered. Voight simply stood there, watched him attentively.  
“I met with Mike Ford and his crew yesterday, as agreed, opened a safe for them. Mike seemed content with what he saw, told me to wait for his call today. So there will probably be another burglary tonight. And when I – when we left, suddenly Mouse entered. He didn't give me up or anything.”   
Another pause. Voight nodded encouragingly.  
“I called him later, and we agreed to meet in the evening. It seems one of the crew, Roy, approached him about a job for an IT specialist. They met overseas. Mouse didn't know what this was about, he needs a job, that's it. He said they noticed that we recognized each other, and Mouse told them we must have met overseas, but he didn't know more about me. It seems they believed him.”  
“And now? What is it you're asking, Jay?”  
“I'm not sure if we should go through with it, Sarge.” Jay admitted. “I asked Mouse, told him what's going on. I trust him, Hank, I still do. Mouse said he'd help. He didn't know it was about a burglary, he thought it was just another random job. So if he's in, we must make sure he's in our books, as a cooperative witness, not one of the crew.”  
“Okay,” Voight just answered.  
“Okay?”  
“Jay, it's your decision, you know Mouse better than anyone. If you think it's worth the risk, then do it. I'll make sure it's official.”  
“Thanks,” Jay was relieved. “I hope this doesn't go sideways.”  
Voight's head tilted slightly, he looked at Hailey inquiringly.   
Hailey nodded ever so slightly. This was enough to tell Voight that she agreed with Jay.  
“Do you have any updates?” she asked Voight. “Anything we can use?”  
“Yeah, I do. We found a common factor in all the items that were stolen. They were all shown in several different art catalogs, which were issued by the same publisher. It's not much yet, but the publisher must know more about the owners of the pieces. My assumption is that someone who works there gave the info to your crew, whenever necessary. There are places on the dark net where collectors place orders for items they see in these catalogs. Items they know they cannot obtain legally. We suspect that the crew including the person working for the publisher act whenever they see an order for items in Chicago. Currently there are a few items on demand. Adam will text you the locations, and you can see if the crew is targeting any of them.”  
“I'll do that,” Jay agreed. “Also I'll try to find out the full names of everyone. So far I've seen 5 people, including Mike Ford and Marcie Giersen. Two men, Roy, the guy Mouse knew, and Jack. And one woman, Jeanie.”  
“Any chance you could connect with the women, Hailey? You planned to go in there with Jay.”  
“Not a chance at all,” she had to admit. “When I was in the garage with Jay, they ignored me completely. I'm not part of the crew, I don't exist for them. I'll watch from the outside, do my part and have Jay's back.”  
“I have no doubt,” Voight murmured. “Listen, be extra cautious. This is not some random burglary crew, this is about a lot of money, and as we saw with the last burglary, they don't shy away from using deadly force.”


	6. Chapter 6

Back from the Silos, Jay and Hailey sat down in a coffee shop outside of the apartment, gathering their thoughts.   
“I'm surprised this isn't a job for the Feds,” Hailey said. “Art theft, dark net, it's huge.”  
“Yeah, but we stumbled across it. So we'll go through. We can always inform the Feds later on.”  
“And they get the praise,” Hailey laughed.   
“I don't need praise,” Jay shrugged.  
“I know, babe.”  
They went through the data Adam had sent them in the meantime. There were four houses in the Gold Coast area that could be the next target. The unit would check them out today, so they knew what to expect, but they had decided not to contact the house owners just yet. Nobody wanted to make the burglary crew aware that the police was onto them. That would perhaps just make them change locations, and they would continue their robberies in another city.  
“We could drive up there and have a look ourselves,” Hailey suggested.   
“Yes, that could help,” Jay agreed. “I just need to make sure that I'm available if Mike contacts me.”

Before they could do that, Jay received a call from Johnny, his CI, who requested a meeting. Fortunately he was in the neighborhood, so Jay and Hailey decided to walk the four blocks. They didn't have anything urgent to do right now, Jay was basically just waiting for Mike to call, and they could drive to Gold Cost later, if necessary. Also, walking around the area in which they currently lived, wasn't the worst idea. In case Mike and his crew tried to test them, tried to see if they actually lived there, it couldn't hurt to know at least a few streets and places.

Johnny was already waiting for them, hiding in an alley. He nervously looked around before he motioned Jay aside.  
“Over here, Jay,” he whispered as he retreated into the alley. Hailey nodded and stayed behind, watching the surroundings closely.  
“What's so urgent, Johnny?” Jay wanted to know. “What happened?”  
“I asked around about this Mike guy,” Johnny answered. “You better be careful, he's dangerous.”  
Jay nodded briefly. “What have you heard?”  
“He was a Marine, and word is that even though he doesn't have a record, he has a bad reputation. Cruel, ruthless. He runs with two guys named Jack Robbins and Roy Parry. Both ex military too. And with a similar reputation.”  
“That's good information, Johnny,” Jay complimented his CI. “Now, please stop asking around. Don't try to find out more, okay? We don't want to stir them up, and I don't want you to put yourself in danger. The names are very helpful, and if the case is closed, you'll get your reward. Here's an advance.” Jay handed Johnny a few dollar bills. “And now leave, and keep your distance from them, okay? You did a good job, I won't forget it.”  
“Okay, okay, Jay. Thanks. I'll keep a low profile for the moment. Thanks.”   
With a pat on Johnny's shoulder Jay returned to Hailey.   
“We've got more names. I told Johnny to leave it at that.”  
“Good, I'll tell the unit,” Hailey said. “They can run the names through the system. Perhaps we find out more about the connection to this publisher.” She took out her phone and called Adam, gave him the names, and both walked back to the apartment. 

When they were on the way back to their UC place, Jay's phone rang.   
“It's Mike,” he informed Hailey, then picked up. “Mike, do I have the job?”  
“We'll see,” was the short answer. “Come to the garage, in two hours. Alone, without Kelly.”  
“Why without Kelly?  
“We only have a job for you.”  
“What kind of job?”  
“You'll find out.”  
“I'll be there.”  
Jay ended the call. “We're in,” he explained. “Well, I am. Mike asked me to meet him in the garage. Alone.”  
Hailey didn't like the alone part, but they had to accept it. “In the middle of the afternoon? Strange time for a burglary.”  
“I know. Perhaps another test run?”  
“Maybe. Or a burglary with a lot of preparation. I'll call Voight, and we'll make sure to keep an eye on you.”

Jay took the car to drive to the garage, while Hailey met with Kim and Kevin. They would drive to the garage in a van, Hailey in the back, and try to find out what was going on. Jay had a gun and was wired, but he was alone with several potentially dangerous criminals. Voight and Adam would wait a bit further away, ready to call patrol in case the burglary would go ahead today.  
There was no time for Jay to be nervous, and he was too much of a pro for that. As he entered the garage, however, he knew he couldn't afford any mistakes and had to stay focused. Mouse was already there, talking to Roy.   
Jay was about to approach the two of them, when Jack held him back.   
“So, you two know each other?” he asked suspiciously.  
“Yeah,” Jay answered casually. “We briefly served in the same unit. Not for long though.”  
“Okay, we've got a job for you two.”   
“Good, what is it? Another safe to crack open?”  
“No,” Mike answered instead of Jack. “Nothing like that. See these two cars over there?” Mike pointed at two old run-down midsize cars.   
“And? Need me to repair them?”  
“No, you take one, Ryan, and Greg the other.” Mike wasn't in the mood for small talk. “You drive to the address I'll text you. You will park the cars there and return with the two cars that you will find there. Keys are under the fender.”  
“That's it?” Jay asked. “Driving a car? What's so special about the cars?”  
“None of your business,” Mike answered harshly. “Come back and we'll talk more jobs.”  
Jay shrugged, briefly nodded in Mouse's direction and took the first car, drove it out of the garage to an address in Garfield Park. He couldn't be sure if the car was bugged or if he was being followed, therefore he didn't take out his phone, didn't call Hailey or Voight, and he didn't stop to check if there was anything in the trunk. Either this was yet another test, or he was running an errand for Mike. Probably both, he assumed.   
He found the address easily, and Mouse arrived only a few minutes after Jay. They didn't talk much when they parked their cars in the front yard of another garage and saw two similar cars standing in a corner.  
“Guess that's the replacements,” Jay suggested and headed for the first car. “I wonder what this was.”  
“Yeah,” Mouse agreed, playing along. “Well, I don't care much, as long as I get the money. And I hope I'm in on the bigger job Roy's been talking about.”  
“Oh, you now what that's about?”  
“Nah,” Mouse shook his head. “See you back at the garage, man.”

Kevin, Kim and Hailey had been following Jay and Mouse with a safe distance, and they hadn't seen anything suspicious. Nobody had been following them, nobody showed up at the new place. They gave Voight the address, so he and Adam could check it later, perhaps find out what this drive was all about.

Without any disturbances Jay and Mouse returned to Humboldt Park.   
They drove the cars into the garage and walked up to Mike.   
“Here we are,” Jay said. “Job done.”  
“Good,” Mike nodded. He gave both of them a few dollar bills each. “That's it for today.”  
It was obvious that he expected Mouse and Jay to leave, but Jay didn't have that.  
“Do I have the job?” he asked, a bit more aggressive than before.   
Mike eyed him impatiently. “I'll call you.”  
“Man I need the money,” Jay threw his head back, a bit annoyed.  
“Ryan, I said I'll call you,” Mike growled. “Not good enough? Then leave for good. Wait for my call, you won't regret it.”  
“Okay,” Jay raised his hands apologetically. “I'll wait then.”   
He shrugged and joined Mouse, who was already on his way out. Jay tilted his head in the direction of his car. “Need a ride?” he asked Mouse loud enough for the others to hear.  
“Yeah, sure.”

“Any idea what this was about?” Jay asked, when they were a few miles away, hoping they hadn't bugged his car while he had been gone. But he knew the unit had been watching and would somehow let them know if anyone had tampered with the car.  
“No idea,” Mouse shook his head.   
“We'll run the plates through the databases, and the others will check out this new place. Perhaps they'll find something. We will have to wait for Mike to call again. Which is kind of annoying.”  
“Yeah,” Mouse answered. “But at least I've got some cash.”  
“You know you can't spend it, right? It's evidence.”  
“Oh no.”  
“Mouse, you need money? Or anything else?”  
“No, I'm good.”  
“Where shall I take you?”  
“Just drop me off at the corner, my place is right over there.”  
“Mouse, you okay?”  
“Yes, I am,” he confirmed. “I hope this is over soon and I can go and find a real job.”  
“We'll take care of that, I promise.”  
“Thanks, Jay.”

Jay returned to the apartment, planning to do some further research. Hailey wasn't there, she was still with the unit, and the place was too empty for his taste. He walked from one room to the next, looked into the fridge, thought about having a drink, but decided against it. Thought about taking out his phone, starting the research, but decided against that as well. This wasn't home, it was more like a hotel room without Hailey, and he preferred to share his thoughts with her, do the research with her.   
He changed into running gear, headed out for a run. This was always the best way to clear his head, sort out his thoughts. He would be back within an hour, and then they could start work together.  
He headed for the park and quickly his mind let go of the case, of Mouse, of the possible dangers ahead. He was just running, breathing in the cool air, pushing his muscles, his eyes were focused on the way.  
Until suddenly someone stepped out from behind a tree and stood right in his way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you guys think even more complicated than I do ;-) . No, I won't bring Erin back, this cliffhanger isn't even such a big one (and I cannot promise that there won't be more). Thank you for all your amazing comments, I'm glad you like the story so far. I originally planned 6 or 7 chapters, but I will probably end up with 8 or nine chapters in total.

“Mike!”  
What was that about? Jay was immediately wide awake and worried.   
Why did Mike corner him like that? Had he followed him all the way?   
Had anything happened?   
Did he know Jay was a cop?  
“What are you doing here?” he asked.   
“Needed to talk to you alone,” Mike answered. “Without your wife or Greg or anyone listening.”  
“Sure,” Jay shrugged and fell into a trot. “Anything wrong with the job?”  
“No, that was fine. In fact,” Mike paused. “We will definitely need you tomorrow night.”  
“That's good, I need the money,” Jay replied. “Any chance you've got a job for Kelly too? She's eager to help out.”  
“I told you already, not this time.”  
“Hmm, okay. So, what do you need me for?” Jay wanted to know.  
“You'll find out tomorrow. Listen, this job is strictly confidential. Keep your mouth shut about it, understand?”  
“Sure, sure.”  
“I'm not joking,” Mike's voice suddenly sounded threatening. “If you blow it, you're dead, Ryan. Or your wife. Or both.”  
Jay stared at him, his face not showing any kind of emotion.   
“Understood.” Jay stopped. “Should I bring my gun?” He suspected they might search him for weapons, so he'd better ask.  
“Why would you need your gun?”  
“No idea, just asking. It sounds like I might need it.”  
Mike nodded. “Right. You can bring it, if you want to. I'll text you the time and place.”   
Having said that he turned around and left a stunned and worried Jay behind.   
Jay didn't move for a few minutes, processed what had just happened. Mike and his team were actually monitoring Jay, probably Hailey and Mouse too. And something would be up tomorrow night. The job today had been a test for Jay and Mouse, just like they had suspected.   
Did they do their job quickly and without asking questions?   
Were they curious and would check the trunk?  
Jay seemed to have passed the test, but there was no way to find out if Mouse would be in too. It would be too risky to call him now. He ran back to the apartment, even faster now.

“How was the run?” Hailey greeted him when he opened the door, kissed his cheek.   
“Eventful,” Jay panted, out of breath. “Mike cornered me, I've got a job. Tomorrow night.”  
He looked around, whispered “did you check for bugs?”  
“The place is clear,” she confirmed. “Voight had some technicians come here and check the place when we were gone. Why so careful?”  
“Because Mike was watching me. He showed up in the park, where I was running. Told me we, respectively I have the job. And told me not to talk to anyone.”  
“Wow.”  
“Actually he told me, if I talk or blow it, we're dead.”  
Slowly Hailey nodded. “I see.”  
Jay kicked off his shoes, then got rid of his dripping-wet shirt, as he followed Hailey into the living room.   
“What did you find out?” he sat down in the kitchenette, gratefully taking the bottle of water Hailey held out to him. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and threw it in Jay's direction.   
“Adam watched the garage in Garfield Park and the cars you left behind,” Hailey began. “Half an hour after you left, someone drove by, opened the trunks and took out two big packages. The license plate number didn't lead us anywhere, and neither did the plates on all four cars. All plates were reported stolen here in Chicago within the last few weeks.”  
“I see, so it was more than a test.”  
“Exactly.”   
“Any idea what was in the packages?”  
Hailey shook her head. “No, unfortunately. Jay, I don't like this.”  
“What?”  
“That I can't go with you. The whole idea of this UC job for the two of us together was that I'd be in with you. And now...”  
Jay shook his head unhappily. “I know. I don't feel comfortable either. It would be much better to have you there with me, believe me.”  
“I'll keep an eye on you and Mouse,” Hailey assured him. “Mike can't stop me from that. I'll be there, I'll have your back.”  
Jay smiled at her. He didn't have to tell her that he knew and appreciated that.  
“Anything else?” he asked a few minutes later.  
“The two names Johnny gave us,” Hailey took out her phone, read the info she had received. “Jack Robbins and Roy Parry. Robbins was a Marine too, served with Ford. Parry served with Mouse, as he said. He's married to a Jeanie Parry, which surely is the Jeanie we met at the garage. And here's the interesting part. There's an Alex Parry, who works in the publishing company that printed the art catalogs. We haven't confirmed that these two are related...”  
“But it is very likely.”  
“Yes, it is,” Hailey confirmed. “So that would be the connection. Voight's looking into it.”  
“Good, that means tomorrow we might have some more background info, when the burglary starts for real.”  
“Or we won't have to wait for the burglary at all,” Hailey suggested. “That would be the easiest solution. I don't trust Mike, he's dangerous.”  
She didn't need to say that she was worried for Jay. He knew it, and she knew there was nothing they could to to prevent him from going through with the job. If Jay didn't show up, they would still have no evidence that this crew was behind it. And Mouse would be in even more danger, especially now that the crew knew that they had served together. They would hold Mouse responsible if Jay didn't show up.  
Hailey saw that Jay was lost in thoughts again, a state in which he wasn't ready to talk. Not because he didn't want to, but he needed to sort out things in his head first. That was how Jay was wired, and she respected and understood it. She wasn't too different in that respect.  
She kissed his cheek, ran her hand through his hair. Noticed that he had goosebumps. Sitting there without a shirt wasn't the best idea in the Chicago spring – no matter how much she liked the view. She took the towel he had carelessly thrown on a chair, wrapped it around his shoulders, she couldn't help herself.  
Absentmindedly Jay smiled at her, leaned into her hand for a second, before Hailey left him to his thoughts. She had an idea how to release his tension. 

Jay was worried. He wasn't sure how this would end. He assumed he could trust Mouse, and Mouse wasn't bad in dangerous situations – had been good back in the day. Several times in Afghanistan, or the one time in Chicago when he had been held held hostage. But did he really know if Mouse was still the same? And would he endanger Mouse? Could he live with himself if something happened to Mouse because of his UC assignment?  
Jay didn't even notice that Hailey left him alone in the living room, he didn't hear the sound of water running, he was lost so deep in his thoughts.   
“Hey,” she said softly, standing in front of him, her open shirt revealed a lacy bra. Jay looked up, his eyes widened in surprise. She stretched out her hand in his direction. “Come, Jay.”  
“I can't go to sleep now,” he weakly said.  
Hailey tilted her head, smiled seductively. “Who was talking about sleep, babe? It's a bit early for that. Come with me.”  
With a sudden realization of what she was implying, Jay got up, smiled back at her. He was really someplace else, he noticed, not to understand immediately what his beautiful girlfriend had in mind. He shook his head, but was surprised again, when she didn't lead him to the bedroom, but to the bathroom.  
The room was steamy, with only a tiny light switched on. He followed her inside, noticed that the tub was filled with hot water and white bubbly foam. This looked inviting. She stepped closer to him, ran her hands over his chest, stomach, to the rim of his sweatpants, started to pull them down. They fell on the floor, and were joined by boxers and socks within seconds. Hailey guided Jay to the tub, he stepped into the hot water, and with a sigh of relief Jay sat down, expecting Hailey to join him. She stayed outside, however, stepped behind him and started to massage his tense shoulders. Jay closed his eyes, groaned luxuriously, simply enjoying the feeling.   
“Come in and join me,” he whispered hoarsely after a few minutes.   
Hailey's clothes joined Jay's on the floor, and she slowly immersed herself into the tub, leaned against Jay with her back against his chest, and Jay pulled her close. Part of him wanted to fall asleep like that, it felt so good, comforting, but Hailey didn't have that. She guided his hands to caress her skin, and immediately his whole body reacted to the situation. He let his fingers run over her skin, teasing her with his touch, his kisses, then turned her around, sighing with pleasure. She couldn't tell if her goosebumps came from the hot water or Jay's touch.  
“You have the best ideas,” he whispered, right before he pulled her completely on top of him, kissed her.   
“Do I?” Hailey laughed into his mouth. “Then it must be you who inspires me.”

That night Jay slept much better than anticipated. All haunting thoughts were gone when they finally went to bed; he was tired in the best possible way. His last thought before falling asleep was that Hailey was amazing, that he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her in his life. It was so much better to do this UC job with her than alone. Not only did he have his back, was there to talk, she also had the best ideas to distract him, to help him relax.   
Jay held her tight and played with her long hair, buried his nose in it.   
Hailey's head rested comfortably on his chest. She didn't fall asleep as quickly as Jay, but that was okay. She was happy to feel him so close, feel his chest raise and fall, listen to his breath, touch his unbelievably smooth skin, feel the strong muscles. She could stay here like that forever. It felt good to know that she had managed to calm Jay down a bit, so that he at least could sleep and be fit for the next day. And she had definitely enjoyed the distraction as much as he had. They were good together in every aspect. 

Hailey woke up feeling Jay's tender kisses, his hands caressing her.   
“Hmmm,” she moaned against his mouth, smiling.”What a way to wake up.”  
“Yeah,” Jay laughed.   
“Do we need to get up?”  
“Not right now,” Jay answered, still kissing and caressing her. “I don't think Mike will call that early.”  
“Good,” Hailey grinned. “Then let's use this time wisely.” She wrapped her arms around him, pulled his body on top of hers.   
For the time being both wanted to forget the job, the dangers, Voight, Mouse. 

They would have to get back to that life soon enough. And who knew what the day would bring, everything was possible when working with such a dangerous crew. Right now all that counted was being together, as close as possible, cherish the precious time together. Make the best of these hours away from everyone.


	8. Chapter 8

Later that morning Hailey called Adam. She needed to keep the team updated and had to make sure they were available when Jay had to meet with Mike.  
“You okay?” Adam asked when he picked up the phone. “How's UC work with Mr. Perfect?”  
“Perfect, what else would you expect?” Hailey laughed happily, not caring what Adam might think of their relationship. He would find out sooner or later anyway. But she got back to business quickly, was serious again. “Listen, Adam, we think tonight something's going to happen.” She told him about Jay's encounter with Mike the day before, about his threats.   
“I will definitely be outside of the garage and watch what happens, and I will listen in on Jay's wire. We need to be ready to go in at any point.”  
“We will be. I'll talk to the team, and Voight will decide what to do,” Adam agreed. “Hailey, we have some updates too. Out of the four possible locations there are two, where the house owners are away tonight, so one of these may be our target. I'll let you talk to Voight directly.” He handed the phone to his boss.  
“Upton,” she heard Voight's voice.  
“Sarge.”  
“Adam told you about the two possible targets?”  
“He did. And something will happen tonight.”  
“I'll make sure we have surveillance for both places. It's still pretty much fishing in the dark, but we must cover all bases. As for the rest, we'll text you the details later. You won't be outside of the garage by yourself, that's too risky. One of the guys will meet you later.”  
“Copy that.”  
“Upton?”  
“Yes, Sarge?”  
“How's Halstead holding up, with the job and with Mouse?” Voight asked a bit more quietly; it sounded as if he had retreated to his office. “Are you okay with him going in alone?”  
“He's good, worried of course, but good,” Hailey replied. “No, I don't like that he'll go in alone, but we have no choice. And we won't be far away, if it gets out of hand.”  
“Right,” Voight grumbled.   
“You're not okay with me going in on my own?” Jay asked suspiciously when Hailey had ended the call.  
“No, I'm not,” Hailey admitted. “I won't lie about it. It doesn't matter anyway. You have to go in, and so be it. Are you okay with it?”  
Jay shrugged. “You said it: I have to. But...” he weakly smiled at Hailey, “it's good to know you're outside watching my back.” 

In the late afternoon Mike called.  
“Yes,” Jay answered.  
“Still have the address in Garfield Park?” Mike asked instead of a greeting.  
“From yesterday? Sure.”  
“Come there, now. Alone.”  
“Okay,” Jay answered, but Mike had already ended the call.  
Jay stood up, grabbed his gun.  
“Call the unit,” he informed Hailey. “It's not the garage here in Humboldt Park. Mike's waiting in that place in Garfield Park from yesterday.”  
He made sure the wire in his belt buckle was well hidden, took the earpiece that would connect him to Hailey and the unit. He hoped the crew wouldn't look too close, but he couldn't go in without it. Voight had made that very clear.  
Hailey watched him get ready, quickly caressed his cheek. No “be safe,” no “take care”, no long good-byes. Everything was said with this quick gesture and a look into each other's eyes. They knew they could count on each other.   
When Jay left, Hailey was already on the phone with Adam, agreed with him where he would pick her up. At least they knew the area from the day before, knew where to hide, so that they wouldn't waste any time. Voight and the rest of the unit would meet them there; Jay wouldn't be alone for long. 

Hailey left the apartment just a few minutes after Jay, pretended to walk to the coffee shop around the corner, entered and left through the back door, through the back alley, and jumped into Adam's car. He had been waiting in the neighborhood.  
Adam looked at her inquiringly.   
“You okay?”  
“Sure.”  
“How about Jay?” Adam asked.   
“He's in there alone, so drive.”  
“Okay, okay,” Adam started the car. “Just asking, don't bite my head off.”  
“Sorry, Adam,” Hailey apologized. “But I've got a bad feeling about this.”  
“I get you, don't worry.”   
Silently he drove to Garfield Park. 

When they arrived, Jay's car was already parked there, and Jay was just getting out. He had deliberately taken his time, knowing the unit would need a while to join him.  
Slowly he was walking towards the building.  
“Jay, you hear me?” Hailey asked.  
“Copy,” he answered quietly.  
“Don't go in, Jay. Wait for the others.”  
Jay didn't answer. He cautiously walked towards the closed door, listening and making sure he didn't look too suspicious, just in case there were some surveillance cameras they had not noticed yet.   
Suddenly Hailey and Adam saw that Jay stopped dead in his tracks, stiffened.  
“What is it?” Hailey asked. “Can you talk?” Even at the distance she knew that Jay was worried and alarmed.  
Jay shook his head, as if to himself.  
Something was off, he sensed that. When he came closer to the building, suddenly there were loud voices. He walked faster.   
“You're police?” Jay heard someone yell. Not Mike, but another male voice.  
Shit. They had made a background check on Mouse.  
“I worked for them,” Jay heard Mouse's voice, still composed and seemingly calm. “Years ago.”  
“We're supposed to believe that?” The angry voice again.  
“It's the truth.”  
“Then why didn't you tell us?”  
“You didn't ask.”   
Mouse, now is not the time to be sassy! Jay thought to himself. That won't sit well with these guys.  
And as if to prove Jay right, there was a smashing sound. A muffled scream..  
Jay walked faster, ran towards the door.  
“Jay!” He heard Hailey's voice in his ear. “Jay, don't go in! Wait!”  
He shook his head vigorously, as there was another muffled scream, a sound as if something was pushed to the ground.   
He couldn't wait for the unit. That was his friend in there!  
“Jay!” Hailey's voice. Louder. He couldn't go in there alone, it was too dangerous! She moved, ready to leave the van, to run to Jay's rescue. Adam's gaze shifted between Hailey sitting next to him and Jay standing at the door, ready to do hold Hailey back.  
Jay didn't listen, he had reached the door, his hand on the door knob, the other hand hovering over his gun. He breathed slowly, planned to go in as if nothing had happened, but ready for action. His hand turned the door knob, pulled the door open a few inches.  
“Halstead!” Hailey yelled now. “Do not go in! I repeat. Do not go in!”  
Jay didn't react to her pleas, he opened the door fully and entered.  
Hailey couldn't see what was happening anymore. For a second there was no sound either, as if the crew had noticed Jay and stopped what they were doing. Then Hailey heard voices again, someone was threatening Jay.

Jay had opened the door as quietly as possible, tried to sneak into the room. It was dark, with only a bit of light working its way through dirty windows. Jay needed a few seconds to adjust his eyes, but these seconds were too much already. A gun was pointed at his head.  
“Stop,” a voice hissed at him. “Not one more step.”  
“What is it?” Jay pretended to be clueless. “I'm here for the job. Mike called me. What's the problem?”  
“Move slowly,” the voice said. Jay recognized Roy, holding the gun to his head.  
“Man, what's going on?” Jay asked again, then turned his head towards the noise. “What are you doing?”  
“Don't play stupid,” Roy answered. “You know each other.”  
“Stupid why?”  
“He works for the cops,” Mike answered, dead calm, as he turned towards Jay.   
Mouse was tied to a chair and lay on the ground, blood on his face and torso. Mike kicked the chair again, Mouse groaned.   
“What?” Jay still pretended to be clueless. Perhaps he could gain a few minutes and the unit would come to their rescue, or they would believe him. Would concentrate on him and leave Mouse alone.  
“Strangely enough,” Mike said with a piercing voice. “Strangely enough there aren't any records for a Ryan Anderson in Greg's unit. And Greg used to work for the cops.”  
Jay shook his head. “What are you implying?” Slowly, cautiously he took a few steps in Mouse's direction. His friend didn't look good, he was grimacing in pain.   
“Do NOT move,” Roy repeated, stepping closer to Jay. He pushed his gun harder against Jay's head.  
“Listen man, I don't know what you're talking about...”  
Jay wasn't sure if he should wait for the unit or try to do something on his own. Mike was standing over Mouse, his gun ready to shoot. Roy's gun was pointed at Jay's head. Marcie and Jeanie were standing on the side, both with guns loosely in their hands. Only Jack was nowhere to be seen.  
“Snitches won't make it out of here,” Mike continued. “This goes for both of you.”  
“Don't be ridiculous,” Jay wasn't sure if feigning innocence would help, but he tried to make one more step towards Mouse. Perhaps he could tear the gun out of Mike's hands in time?  
“Jay!” he heard Hailey's voice in his ear.  
“Stop it,” Mike ordered. “Stop pretending you don't know.”  
Jay stopped pretending and tried to knock the gun out of Roy's hand and run towards Mike and Mouse at the same time. Something hit him from behind, he couldn't dodge, couldn't hit the offender. He tried to point his gun at Mike, to prevent him from shooting at Mouse, but he would have shot Mouse if he tried to shoot at Mike.   
Suddenly Jay couldn't see anymore what was happening, he was attacked from two sides, he heard a gunshot, and everything went dark.

“Dammit!” Hailey yelled, as she heard the rumbling sounds, the shouting. She was out of the van and running towards the garage within a split second, brushing off Adam's hand, as he was trying to hold her back.  
“Hailey, wait for the others!” Adam tried to hold Hailey back, but she was already halfway across the yard. The voices and the noise became louder, so she ran, when she heard screams and gunshots.  
Dammit.

“10-1, 10-1! Shots fired at the police,” Adam yelled into his radio, followed by the address, before he ran after Hailey, gun in his hand. “We need backup! Now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know - another cliffhanger. But it was the right moment to end this chapter. And the following chapter will be uploaded quickly, I promise. Thanks for all your amazing comments, guys!


	9. Chapter 9

The noises stopped, but Hailey didn't notice, she just ran across the yard, not caring if there were cameras, if anyone would see him.  
“Jay?” she whispered when she approached the door. “Jay, are you there? Answer me. Dammit, Jay!”  
No answer. Shit. 

Jay's head felt as if it would explode any second, when the fog slowly faded. He didn't know where he was, what time it was – how much time had passed since... since when? Slowly his memory came back. He had been driving to Garfield Park, had entered the garage to meet with Mike and his crew, after hearing accusations and threats directed at Mouse. They had tied his friend to a chair, waved their guns, threatened both of them... and Jay had no idea what had happened then.  
The background noise changed to beeping sounds and voices. Cautiously he tried to open his eyes. The light hurt, so he closed them again, barely suppressing a sigh of pain.  
“Jay?” he heard a female voice. “Jay are you awake?”  
“Hmmm,” he managed to groan. He knew that voice.  
“I'll get a doctor.”  
Jay didn't open his eyes again, it was too exhausting. He wasn't quite there yet, his foggy mind suspected painkillers, and he couldn't put the pieces together. What had happened in the garage? Why was he here, assuming the here was a hospital? And Mouse? What had happened to Mouse?

He drifted back into a semi-conscious state, barely noticing the nurse that entered his room and checked on his vitals, the doctor that had a brief look. Or the other people coming and going, his unit. 

When Jay finally woke up for good, he had no idea how much time had passed. It might have been just a few hours or several days, he wouldn't be able to tell. He opened his eyes cautiously, expecting the splitting headache to return instantly, but it didn't come. The room was only dimly lit, the blinds were down, so it was probably nighttime. His eyes slowly focused, saw the bare wall with a TV screen, the monitor on his side, and on his other side, he saw Hailey, asleep in a chair. She was here. Good.  
“Hailey,” he whispered, his voice raspy and very quiet.  
She was awake immediately, looked at him, instant relief showing in her face. She looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks, her eyes big and puffy, tear-stained, and her hair was a mess. He loved her hair like that, briefly smiled at that thought.  
“Jay... I'll get a doctor.” She stood up and was gone within an instant, leaving behind a puzzled Jay.  
“Hailey...” he repeated.  
She returned within seconds, however, following Doctor Marcel. When Crockett approached Jay's bed, Hailey stayed in the back, leaned against the door frame.  
“Our frequent flyer is back. You gave us quite a scare, Jay.”  
“What...what happened?” Jay managed to ask. “Shot?”  
“Not this time,” Crockett answered. “Severe blunt force trauma to the head, a ruptured spleen, several hematoma. Jay, you shouldn't play punching bag all the time, as much as you seem to enjoy it. You were out of it for two days, it wasn't clear in the beginning if you need surgery, but we managed without. So no new scar to show off.”  
Jay barely managed to not roll his eyes at Crockett.  
“Mouse?” he asked.  
“He's in the next room,” Crockett explained. “Shot in the arm, beaten up, but getting better.”  
“Good.”  
After examining Jay thoroughly, Crockett left, and Jay looked at Hailey expectantly. Why did she stand there in the door frame? Why didn't she come closer?  
“Hailey...” he whispered.  
She shook his head, he saw tears in her eyes.  
“What is it?”  
“I need some sleep,” she said and was gone.  
Jay stared at the door, saw her leave, and didn't understand anything. He closed his eyes. Perhaps she was simply tired. It wouldn't be a surprise, given the circumstances.

Jay must have fallen asleep again, because when he opened his eyes again, it was daylight, and he looked into his brother's eyes.  
“Will?” he croaked.  
“You're awake,” Will stated the obvious.  
“What happened?” Jay repeated his questions from earlier. “Where's...?”  
“Hailey?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Outside. And you should sleep some more.”  
“Slept for days,” Jay whispered, but his yawning betrayed his will to stay awake.  
“You need to sleep, Jay,” Will repeated. “This will help you heal.”  
“Mouse?”  
“He'll be okay, Jay. But he'll be here longer than you. Man, what on earth did you do?”  
Jay just stared at his brother, and despite his best effort, he couldn't keep his eyes open.

This time he didn't sleep long, and his sleep was actual sleep, not a result of pain meds; and when he opened his eyes, Hailey was sitting at his bedside.  
She was reading something on her phone, so she didn't notice right away that Jay's eyes were open. He was so relieved to see her.  
“Hey,” he whispered.  
She looked up from her phone, and Jay saw immediately that her eyes were still red from tears.  
“Hey,” she just answered. “How are you feeling?”  
“Run over by a truck? Tired. Thirsty.”  
“I'll get you some water.” She took a plastic cup with a straw and held it to Jay's mouth.  
He drank hastily, coughed, so Hailey pulled the cup away quickly. “Not so fast, Jay.”  
He nodded weakly, drank some more, then his head fell back on the pillow and he sighed.  
“Thank you,” Jay said. “Thank you for being here.”  
Hailey was about to answer, when Will entered.  
“Hey, my brother's awake,” he said, obviously in a very good mood. “Took you long enough.”  
Jay rolled his eyes. “When can I leave?”  
Will laughed out. “Sorry, bro. You'll have to stay for a few more days. But let me quickly check on you.”  
Jay let it happen, but only because he had to. He wanted to talk to Hailey, alone, to find out what happened back at the garage, if the crew was under arrest, and how Mouse was. While Will was chatting along, Hailey sat on the chair, quietly, not reacting at all to Will's words. Jay was irritated, it wasn't like Hailey to ignore this completely. Why couldn't Will hurry up and leave?  
When Will was finally done and had confirmed that Jay would be fine in a few days, Hailey's gaze followed him, as he left the room. Something wasn't quite right.  
“Hailey,” Jay whispered. “What's going on?”  
Slowly she turned back towards him, sadness in her eyes, and something else. Something like desperation.  
Jay felt a lump in his stomach.  
“Hailey,” he repeated.  
“We shouldn't discuss this here, with you barely awake.”  
“Discuss what, Hailey?”  
She breathed heavily. “Jay, I can't do this.”  
“Can't do what?”  
“I can't... I can't deal with your recklessness, Jay. Don't you ever think before you just run and risk your life?” Now that she had started, the words came almost too fast. “Jay, it's happening again and again. You just run into a dangerous situations, don't look left or right, don't watch out for your life. As if you wanted to die. How do you think I feel? I told you not to go in alone, I asked you to wait. It would have been a few seconds only, but you decided not to listen, and...”  
“But it was Mouse,” Jay protested. “My friend. I had to go in, they might have killed him.”  
“This time it was Mouse, last time it was Angela and her son. Or your father's killer. Who is it next time, Jay? What will it be next time?”  
“But...”  
“No but, Jay,” Hailey said, quietly now. “Jay, sometimes I think you have a death wish. Or why is it that you don't care for your life?”  
“It's my job,” Jay answered weakly.  
“It's not your job to be suicidal, Jay. I can't do this, Jay.”  
“What are you trying to tell me?”  
Hailey stared at him, crying now. “Jay, I love you, but I can't... us... I can't be with you if this doesn't change.”  
“Are you breakding up with me?” Jay couldn't believe he asked this, even thought this unthinkable thought.  
“No Jay, I am not.” Good. “But we need to talk.”  
She stood up, turned around and wanted to leave Jay's room, but ran into Voight, who was about to enter. Hailey briefly looked up, then passed Voight and ran.  
“Hailey!” Jay shouted, but she didn't come back. What was that? What had just happened? Did Hailey just break up with him? She denied it, but Jay wasn't quite so sure.  
Only now he realized that his boss was standing by his bedside.  
“Sarge,” Jay tried to be calm. “I... This... This isn't what it looks like...”  
“Jay,” Voight interrupted. “You really think I don't know about you two?”  
Jay shrugged. “It seems there isn't much to know.”  
Voight shook his head. “Jay, Hailey's been here since you were brought in. She hardly ever left your side. You really think she'd do that if she wanted to break up with you?”  
“But...”  
“Jay, Hailey's exhausted, scared. Give her some time, and when she returns and you are better, you two need to figure out a few things. Because she's right, you sometimes seem to have a death wish. You must be more level-headed in these situations, or you endanger yourself and others. And sooner or later it won't end well anymore.”  
These were unusual words coming from his sergeant. The man that used to be so strict about romance in his unit. It was clear, however, that Voight wouldn't say more about this, so Jay changed the topic. “Sarge, what happened in the garage? Did you arrest them? Do we have a solid case?”  
Voight sat down in the chair Hailey had just vacated. “Yes, we have a case. We arrested the whole crew, and we already have a confession. Jack Robbins was the weakest link, he gave them all up. I arrived at the garage only when everything was sorted out, when everyone was already cuffed; so you'd better let Hailey or Adam tell you what happened there.”  
“Sarge, I had to go in. They made Mouse, they were threatening him, about to shoot him.”  
“Don't explain that to me, Jay.”  
“Is Mouse okay? Crockett and Will didn't give me any details.”  
“He'll be okay, Jay. He had surgery, lost quite a lot of blood, but the shot wasn't life threatening. Bad concussion, I was told. Just like you. They weren't holding back.”  
“I want to see him.”  
“I'll see what I can do. Now rest, you shouldn't talk so much.”

And Jay was alone again. He was exhausted, that was true, but not tired, and after what had happened, what Hailey had said, Jay couldn't sleep anyway.  
Had she broken up with him?  
Was she right about him?  
Was he too reckless?  
And what about this death wish? Did he really act like he had a death wish?  
Jay didn't know, but he was afraid the answer to all questions might be a yes. He wasn't deliberately reckless, that much he knew, and he knew he wasn't suicidal. Definitely not. But could he change who he was? How he reacted when someone was in danger? At least not be a bit more careful? In his job?

Hailey hadn't gone home, despite what she had said to Jay, she couldn't leave his side. And she didn't want to break up with him, that was the last of her intentions. She wanted to be with him, more than anything. But she had to make it clear to him that he couldn't go on like this. She knew she wouldn't leave, she knew she would go back inside, talk to Jay – of course she would. But right now both needed time to themselves, Jay needed to think, and she needed to give him – and herself – this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly coming to an end of this story. There will either be one - longer - chapter, or two shorter ones, I'm not quite sure yet.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, before I continue editing this last part forever, I decided to finally upload it as one slightly longer chapter. Enjoy

Hailey didn't notice what happened around her, that people came and went, that some sat down next to her, just in case she needed to talk, simply sat with her. Subconsciously she realized that she wasn't alone, and she would at one point thank her colleagues and friends for that; right now, however, she couldn't.  
Until she felt a hand on her shoulder.   
Hailey flinched, looked to her side.  
“Hey,” she heard Adam's voice, looked into his warm brown eyes.   
“Hey,” she answered.   
“I won't ask if you're okay,” Adam said slowly. “Because you wouldn't be honest anyway.”  
Suddenly Hailey felt reminded of that evening, that evening when Jay had been shot, and when she almost collapsed in Adam's arm, and spent the night with him. For a split-second she wanted to run away now, to avoid this from happening again, but then she realized that it wouldn't. Adam didn't try to hit on her, and she would most definitely not go home with him. Even if she had broken up with Jay – and she hadn't, didn't want to – she would not make that same mistake twice. And looking into Adam's eyes, she saw that he didn't intend to, either. He was just being a friend, right when she needed a friend.   
“Not okay,” she finally answered. “Not by far.”  
“Jay will be okay.”  
“I know.”   
“I... I was so scared... he kills me with his recklessness. I... I can't...”  
“If I said, it is who he is, that wouldn't help, right?”  
Hailey couldn't suppress a laugh. “No,” she almost chuckled. Leave it to Adam to at least make her laugh in a situation like this.  
“Listen, Hailey, I know I'm not good at this. But you have to tell him, give him a chance. And if anyone can make him want to think about his actions, want to improve, it's you. Because he cares for you just as much as you care for him.”  
“Of course I'll give him a chance,” Hailey whispered. “It's just so hard. I was so, so scared.”  
“Yeah, I know. Want me to shake some sense into him?”  
Hailey grinned weakly, rubbed an unwanted tear from her eyes. “I might come back to you later.”  
“Any time, darlin'”, Adam grinned back, rubbed her shoulder. “I'll go and say hi to your boyfriend now.”  
As soon as Adam was gone, Hailey breathed hard. She sat up straight. It was time to throw some water in her face, regain her composure, and think about how to deal with this. Jay needed to know she wasn't going anywhere, that she would not leave him. Everything else would be sorted out later.

When the door to his room opened again, Jay looked up, hoping to see Hailey. It was Adam. And Adam saw how the expression in Jay's face changed as soon as he realized it was him.  
“Glad to see you too,” he chuckled. “You know, you scared us for a minute – again.”  
Jay rolled his eyes. “You're not the first to tell me that. Did Hailey send you?”  
“No, she didn't. But whatever she said to you, she's probably right.”  
Jay shrugged, already shutting down, as he wasn't ready to share his inner thoughts with Adam. “Maybe.”  
“Good to know you'll be out of here soon, man.”  
“Yeah,” Jay agreed. “Can't wait to get out. Listen man, can you do me a favor?”  
“Sure, what?”  
“Can you help me get to see Mouse?”  
Adam nodded. “Sure, Voight talked about that before. I'll organize a wheelchair.”  
“Thanks, man. But first, would you tell me what happened after I passed out? So far nobody gave me any details.”  
“Sure,” Adam sat down. “I'll tell you all I know, and what I heard from Hailey. We watched you approach the garage, as you know. When you started running, entered the garage, Hailey tried to stop you, unsuccessfully. She ran after you, and I ran after her. You were inside, there was noise, gunshots, and she managed to enter without anyone seeing her. She said you were already on the ground, hit by a two-by-four. Which is better than being shot, I guess.”  
Jay rolled his eyes again.  
“Anyway, this Mike guy shot at Mouse, but only hit his shoulder. I don't think he wanted to kill Mouse. If he had, he would have done so. Mouse was out too, and Mike was pointing his gun at you, when Hailey could sneak up on him. She had her gun at his head, when I entered. Roy noticed Hailey and wanted to shoot her, but I shot first. The women seemed unsure of what to do, they didn't lower their guns but didn't shoot either. When Roy was down and Mike held at gunpoint, they gave up. That's when Voight and the others arrived and could arrest them. Jack had been outside, NOT keeping watch, and Kev surprised him. We called an ambo, and here we are. Man, Hailey was so mad at you. If you had only waited a few more seconds.”  
Jay looked annoyed, Adam raised his hands defensively. “But – that's none of my business. I'll go now and get the wheelchair, so you can see Mouse.”  
“Thanks.”  
Jay closed his eyes, thought about what Adam had said. Hailey had been mad at him. Yeah, that much he knew. Being honest to himself, he could understand her. He would be mad at her if she just ran into a dangerous situation without listening to him. He would have to figure out how to make things better, how to convince her he was willing to listen, to change. She was worth it.   
“Here we go,” Adam interrupted his thoughts, as he came back with a wheelchair and Kevin in tow. “I managed to convince the nurse that we don't need a doctor here, so behave, okay?  
Jay tried to sit up, which was more difficult than expected, but with Adam and Kevin's help he managed. They helped him sit down in the wheelchair, Jay arranged his hospital gown and a blanket, and finally Adam rolled the wheelchair with Jay in it to Mouse's room.

Mouse was awake, barely awake. He had bruises on his face and his arms, marks from the cuffs, but that was all they saw, because one shoulder was bandaged, his body was covered by a blanket. When he saw Jay, Mouse smiled.  
“Hey buddy,” he said, his voice hoarse.   
“Hey,” Jay answered, clearly relieved to see his friend awake. “How are you feeling?”  
“I've been better, but I've been much worse too. The doctor said I'll be okay.”  
“That's good.”  
“And you, Jay?”  
“Okay. Relieved now.”  
“And Hailey? I remember she came to our rescue.”  
“Good. She's outside.”  
Both were quiet for a while.   
“How did they make you?” Jay finally asked. “How did they know you worked for us?”  
“They ran a background check. Mike's even more suspicious than we expected, I guess. And has connections everywhere, so he could even hack into police personnel data. At least they didn't make you, Jay. In that case we'd both be dead.”  
Jay nodded. “We should have manufactured more data for my UC persona. And should have been more careful. I shouldn't have let you do this.”  
“Perhaps, but it's over now.”  
“And you should try to stay out of trouble from now on.”  
Mouse laughed. “Says who? You, Jay?”  
“Yeah, I know. But it's my job, not yours. Let's find you a proper job, a legit one, once you're out. Perhaps the others can help too. It's not charity, Mouse, okay?”  
“I can ask around,” Adam, who had stepped outside while Jay and Mouse were talking, came back inside. “We all know people, I'm sure we can arrange something.”

Jay stayed in Mouse's room, until both of them couldn't stop yawning anymore. At that point Adam insisted on bringing Jay back to his own room, claiming he didn't want any problems with Jay's brother, but both Jay and Adam knew, the person Adam didn't want any trouble with was Hailey.   
Jay knew it was sensible to get back to bed, but found it hard to leave his friend, enjoyed talking to him too much. There was so much he wanted to talk to Mouse about and to hear from him, now that the case was closed, but that would have to wait. If everything went well, Mouse would stay in his life for good now. 

Hailey was still in the waiting area, and Jay quietly asked Adam to roll his wheelchair over to where she was sitting.  
“Hailey.”  
She looked up. “You're better?”  
“I saw Mouse.”  
“Yeah, I know.” She smiled at him, relieved that he already looked more vivid, tired but at the same time awake.   
Adam moved away, giving them some privacy. Hailey nodded at him, thankful.  
She took Jay's hand, but didn't speak.  
“Are we going to be okay?” Jay hesitantly asked, afraid of the answer.  
She slowly nodded. “Yes, Jay, we will. But we need to talk.”  
“I know,” he admitted. “Come with me?”  
She smiled. “Where else would I go?”

As soon as Jay was back in bed, Hailey sat down in the chair, right next to his bed. Jay watched her as she pulled the chair closer, suddenly very insecure.  
“Hailey,” he started hesitantly. “I'm sorry.”  
“I know, Jay.”  
“And I know that's not enough.”  
She smiled softly. “It's a good start. You should sleep now, babe. I'm not going anywhere.”  
Jay shook his head. “I can't sleep. Not with this standing between us.” He took Hailey's hand. “I messed up, didn't I?”  
“I wasn't sure if you'd make it out alive. I was so scared.”  
Jay looked down, feeling guilty.   
“I know I overreacted, before,” Hailey continued softly. “It's bad enough to worry about a partner, but to worry for you... And never knowing when you just run into the fire without thinking of the consequences, again and again. I don't want that, not sure I can. I don't want to lose you, Jay.”  
“I don't want that either,” Jay answered quietly. “I don't have a death wish, Hailey, I want to live, to live with you.”  
“Then why are you doing this?”  
“Because it's my job? We can't evade danger, you know that.”  
“Of course not, but there's a difference between that and running towards danger without any further thought about your life.”  
“I've never done anything without a good reason,” Jay mumbled. “With Angela – I was responsible for her husband's death. And this time... it was Mouse. My friend. What am I supposed to do?”  
“Jay, I understand your reasons, I do. And I love you for being so selfless, so compassionate, so caring. But you're not invincible, not immortal. You need to understand that. I have your back, the unit has your back, accept our help. You don't have to fight all alone, not anymore.”  
Jay looked at her, thought about what she said. He didn't know what to reply.  
“Think about it, Jay, okay? That's all I'm asking right now.”  
“Okay,” Jay agreed. “I will do that. Promise.”  
Hailey smiled at him, rubbed his hand with her thumb.  
“And you? Don't you want to go home? This chair can't be comfortable.”  
“Want to get rid of me?” She didn't want to go home, she wanted him to be sure that she wouldn't leave.  
“No.”  
“Then move over, Halstead,” Hailey grinned.   
Jay smiled, relieved, and did as requested. They were good.  
Hailey kicked off her shoes and crawled into bed with Jay, cautiously leaned against his unbruiseded side.   
“Hailey, I don't know if I can change. And it won't happen over night.”  
“Are you willing to try?”  
“Yes.”  
“And let me help you?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then it's good enough for me.”  
Jay softly placed a kiss on Hailey's head. “I'll try, I promise.”  
“I know, babe. Now sleep.”  
Neither of them slept, however, even though they were both tired. There was too much to think about.

“I feel like such an idiot at times,” Jay admitted after a long silence. He wasn't sure if Hailey was still awake, as her face was snuggled against his chest, and she hadn't moved in a while, her breathing was calm. He somehow hoped she was asleep, and he'd be talking to himself.   
“You're not an idiot, Jay,” she answered sleepily, but very determined. “Why would you be?”  
So she was awake.  
“Because it seems I'm doing my best to blow this, us. And that's the last thing I want.”  
“You're not blowing this, Jay,” Hailey lifted her head, looked into his eyes. “We both have our issues, our weaknesses, but we're stronger that that. Together.” She paused. “Remember our first day as a couple? When I pushed you away? I lied to you, even though I knew you'd see right through me. You stayed regardless; you were patient with me.”  
“But you said...”  
“I know what I said, Jay. I won't leave. Because I know we can work this out. And you know that too.”  
“You've got more faith in me than I have.”  
“Someone needs to have faith in you, Jay.”

When Jay could leave the hospital, Hailey was there to pick him up. They said good-bye to Mouse, with whom they had spent as much time as possible, catching up. Hailey and Mouse got to know each other, all three shared ideas of how to find a decent job for him, once Mouse could leave Med.

Jay and Hailey's relationship was still strong, perhaps stronger than before. It was built on years of trust, of friendship, they wouldn't give up on each other easily.  
Until he was completely healed, Jay would stay at Hailey's apartment, with her; they had agreed this would be the best solution.

“You know what I liked about this UC job?” Jay asked, once he sat comfortably on Hailey's couch.   
She sat down next to him, handed him a cup of tea. “The danger? - Sorry, Jay.”  
Jay rolled his eyes. “I liked living together, I liked pretending to be married.”  
“You did?” Hailey raised her eyebrows, teasing him.  
“I know it would be much too early to talk about moving in together, or even get married, but eventually... eventually, I would like that. A lot.”  
She didn't reply immediately.  
Jay suddenly got very nervous. Had he said too much?  
Finally Hailey smiled at him. “Jay, if you keep doing stupid things, I can't marry you, ever,”   
Jay frowned. “So my chances are close to zero.”  
She raised her eyebrows. “I told you, I have faith in you, Jay.”  
Jay gave her his typical puppy-dog eyes. “So, you mean you would marry me if I became more level-headed? Less reckless?”  
“Well, as you said, it's a bit early to talk about that, but a few months or years down the line...” Hailey grinned. “Under said conditions.”  
Jay smiled his widest smile.  
“So?” Hailey asked. “You care to say something?”  
“I guess I can agree to said conditions.”


End file.
